Even though Jurgen Klopp is contracted to Liverpool until 2026, speculation regarding his successor never goes away entirely. At present, his assistant Pep Lijnders is the favourite with the bookmakers.
It feels like he is being prepared for the role, by taking press conferences for cup games and leading the team in Klopp’s absence. Promoting the assistant manager would feel like something of a return to the Boot Room traditions which served the club so well for 40 years following Bill Shankly’s appointment.
However, Lijnders doesn’t have much experience of first team management. His career consists of 22 matches with NEC Nijmegen four years ago. While it would not be promoting from within, there is a former Liverpool player who is starting to build a decent looking managerial CV elsewhere.
